Former NBA International Executive To Help Lead AEG Sports’ European Expansion
LOS ANGELES, CA – Reinforcing the organization’s commitment to global growth, AEG has named Matthieu van Veen to the newly created position, Vice President, AEG Sports – Europe, it was announced by Andrew Messick, Executive Vice President, Marketing and International.
Based in Paris, van Veen’s responsibilities will include creation and management of a portfolio of European sports properties; European leadership and management of AEG’s global sports properties relating to AEG’s Facilities and Sports Divisions; and coordination of AEG’s Facilities business in France.
“We are delighted to have Matthieu on board to help drive AEG’s growth in European Sports. Matthieu combines deep knowledge in sports media with a sophisticated knowledge of the structure and opportunities that exist within Europe. We expect that Matthieu will continue to be highly successful in his new role,” said Messick, who also holds the title of President, AEG Sports.
Developers and operators of the recently opened O2, a 28-acre development located in the eastern part of London along the Thames River, which includes a 20,000-seat arena and over 650,000 sf of leisure and entertainment use, AEG’s international portfolio includes other world-class arenas including the Colorline Arena (Hamburg, Germany) and The O2 World (opening in central Berlin in September, 2008) and the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena; professional hockey and soccer franchises; AEG Live-Europe, a leading concert promotional agency and AEG Sports-Europe devoted to the coordination of sporting exhibitions as well as international tours featuring professional franchises from North America.
“AEG’s commitment to develop state of the art buildings in Europe is exciting news for all sports fans,” said van Veen. These world-class arenas will provide federations, leagues, event promoters, media and sponsors unprecedented opportunities to provide fans with a memorable sporting experience taking indoor sports to new heights and allowing for greater revenues. I am very excited to join AEG’s operations and commitment to European sport expansion.”
Prior to joining AEG, van Veen served as the National Basketball Association’s Senior Director, Global Media Distribution for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In his role as head of the NBA’s media business, van Veen was responsible for all television and digital media rights for the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball. He has worked extensively in all Western European countries, as well as Russia and Turkey.
About AEG
AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, is the world’s largest investor in entertainment and sports facilities; the world’s largest presenter of live sports and entertainment events; world’s largest owner of sports teams and sports events; AEG has a long history of success in the global sports and entertainment industries including the STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, CA), NOKIA Theatre Times Square, NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie (TX), the El Rey Theatre (Hollywood, CA), the WaMu Theatre (Seattle, WA), Target Center (Minneapolis, MN) and three just opened arenas, Sprint Center (Kansas City, MO), Prudential Center (Newark, NJ) and The O2, a 28-acre development located in the eastern part of London along the Thames River which includes a 20,000 seat arena and over 650,000sf of leisure and entertainment use; sports franchises throughout the world including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Los Angeles Riptide (MLL), the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo (MLS) in addition to overseeing privately held management shares of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA). AEG developed and operates The Home Depot Center, a $150 million national training facility on the Campus of California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, California designated as an “Official U.S. Olympic Training Site” by the United States Olympic Committee that includes major facilities for soccer, tennis, track & field, cycling, lacrosse, rugby, action sports, beach volleyball and other sports.
AEG’s live entertainment division, AEG LIVE is one of the world’s leading concert promotion and touring companies with fifteen regional offices and stand-alone affiliate divisions devoted to all aspects of live entertainment including: AEG LIVE Events, creators and producers of special events of all sizes; AEG-TV, creators of live events for television, DVD, pay-per-view, cinema and other electronic media and AEG LIVE Tours & Special Events, Concerts West, Goldenvoice, The Messina Group and AEG Exhibitions, the company’s national entertainment promotion and touring divisions. AEG LIVE is currently overseeing the international museum tour of the artifacts of King Tut “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” and produced Celine Dion A New Day…Presented By Chrysler, a spectacular theatrical production starring Dion and directed by Franco Dragone which just concluded an unprecedented five year “residency” at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. AEG LIVE co-produces the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Goldenvoice, the company’s southern California-based regional promotion division created and operates the award winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Recently promoted tours have starred artists and groups including Prince, Usher, Kenny Chesney, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, Yanni, the Eagles, George Strait, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, Dixie Chicks, Hannah Montana and American Idol.
AEG is currently overseeing the development of L.A. LIVE, a 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential & entertainment district featuring NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE, a 7,100-seat state-of-the-art live theatre which opened in October, 2007, a 54-story, 1001-room convention center “headquarters” hotel, Club NOKIA L.A. LIVE, a 2,200 capacity live music venue, a 14-screen Regal Cineplex, “broadcast” facilities for ESPN, along with entertainment, restaurant, residential and office space and additional arenas, O2 World, on a 45-acre site in the heart of Berlin, Citizen’s Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California and in Las Vegas, Nevada.
